Related Experiment Videos
Serratia bacteremia
E Bouza1, M García de la Torre, A Erice
1Infectious Disease Unit (Microbiology Service), Centro Especial Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
|August 1, 1987
Summary
Serratia bacteremia, often hospital-acquired, presents with fever and shock. High resistance to gentamicin and factors like critical illness predict poor outcomes, highlighting treatment challenges.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Microbiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Serratia bacteremia is a significant cause of bloodstream infections.
- Understanding its epidemiology and clinical features is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and prognostic factors of Serratia bacteremia.
- To assess antimicrobial resistance patterns of Serratia isolates.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 50 patients with Serratia bacteremia over a 6-year period.
- Identification of the most frequent species (Serratia marcescens) and portals of entry.
- Evaluation of clinical findings, including fever, shock, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Main Results:
- 92% of cases were nosocomially-acquired, with urinary and respiratory tracts as common entry points.
- Fever was universal; shock occurred in 28%.
- 62% of isolates showed gentamicin resistance, and overall mortality was 38%.
Conclusions:
- Serratia bacteremia, particularly hospital-acquired, is associated with high mortality.
- Factors like underlying disease severity, shock, polymicrobial bacteremia, respiratory infection, and inadequate treatment predict poor prognosis.
- High rates of gentamicin resistance necessitate careful antibiotic selection.